The Asian Film Awards Academy has announced the 74 nominations of 42 films from eight countries standing for the 9th Asian Film Awards (AFA). The award ceremony will be held at the Venetian Theatre in Macau on March 25
Internationally acclaimed film director and producer Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting has been appointed as this year’s AFA Jury President, and established leading man Aaron Kwok Fu-shing will serve as a Celebrity Jury member. The jury comprises 14 respected film industry professionals and critics who will select outstanding Asian works of the year to be recognized by one of the most prestigious film awards in the world today.
“The Asian Film Awards is a formidable exercise. Each film has its own strengths fueled by the filmmakers’ passion, creative styles and captivating stories. With the high standard of work on display, we recognize the responsibility and challenge involved in voting for the winners,” commented Jury President Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting, at a press conference in Hong Kong earlier this month.
Renowned director Ann Hui has been nominated for the Best Director category this year for her latest film The Golden Era. The film has a total of five nominations at AFA this year including Tang Wei for the Best Actress, Wang Zhiwen for Best Supporting Actor, Li Qiang for Best Screenwriter and Kwong Chi-leung and Manda Wai for Best Editor. Ann Hui will also be one of the guests at this year’s The Script Road – Macau Literary Festival on March 19 and the film will be screened as part of the Festival programme.
Founded by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival in late 2013, the AFA Academy aims to promote, develop and enrich Asian cinema, its talents and audiences by organizing AFA and a diversity of other programmes across Asia, working closely with film, arts and culture partners from around the world.
“The developing network of filmmakers and film industries in the Asia-Pacific will strengthen AFA and drive the globalization of Asian films,” said Dr. Wilfred Wong Ying-wai, Chairman of the AFA Academy and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society.
AFA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Asian films through 14 award categories. Competing films include historical epics, romances, police and courtroom dramas, comedies, psychodramas, coming-of-age tales, horrors and others from a thousand eligible films from 34 countries across Asia.
